Incomparable. A proud prairie girl who never forgot where she came from. And always smiled when she said the words Indian Head. Mother. Daughter. Grandmother. Aunt. Sister. Sister-in-law. Cousin. Niece. And wife. Not once, but twice.
A woman who, having known the Great Depression, knew the value of a dollar. Family. Friends. Being thrifty. Saving for tomorrow. And hard work. Working her way from West to East. Starting off as a Fighter Control Operator with the RCAF. Finishing off, after receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree from Nipissing University and Master of Education degree from the University of Toronto, as a teacher for many decades in North Bay, Ont. An avid reader. Traveller. Gardener. News watcher. Dog lover. Thrift shop bargain hunter. And seashell collector, during the months she spent at her second home in Florida. A storyteller. With a vivid imagination. Who likely inherited some of that talent from her uncle, acclaimed Canadian novelist, Sinclair Ross. A lady with a sharp wit, keen sense of humour and a hearty laugh. An eye-roller and eyebrow raiser extraordinaire. Tenacious. Resilient. Dynamic. Small in stature. Yet mighty fierce in her convictions. Opinions. And determination to forge her own path. Her way. A proud prairie woman. In every respect. From beginning. To end. As she would have said had she written this, “From Dust Bowl to dust.”
